EP this week: EU budget, data protection, seasonal workers

Others Article - Institutions − 11-11-2013 - 14:41

MEPs have another busy week ahead of them

MEPs will meet in committee this week and prepare for the plenary session on 18-21 November. On Thursday the budget committee is expected to vote on the EU’s long-term budget for 2014-2020. Negotiators for Parliament and the Council will also try to strike a deal on the EU's budget for next year. The civil liberties committee will continue its inquiry into the NSA scandal, while non-EU seasonal workers and a lecture on making the economy sustainable are also on the agenda.

After months of tough negotiations with the national governments, the budget committee will vote Thursday on a proposal for the EU's long-term budget for 2014-2020. If the committee supports the proposal, it will still needs to be approved by the Parliament before it can enter into force.

At the closing meeting of the budgetary conciliation procedure on Monday, negotiators for Parliament and the Council will try to find an agreement on the EU's 2014 budget.

The civil liberties committee's inquiry into the alleged mass surveillance of Europeans by the NSA will hold its ninth and tenth hearings on Monday and Thursday. These will include a debate with James Sensenbrenner, chair of the US Congress subcommittee for crime, terrorism, homeland security and investigations. There will also be a discussion about the involvement of companies in surveillance in a discussion with Microsoft and Google representatives.

On Thursday, the civil liberties committee will vote on a deal with the Council on a legislative proposal to give seasonal workers from outside the EU better working and living conditions. These rules also aim to end exploitation and prevent temporary stays from becoming permanent. More than 100,000 seasonal workers come to the EU every year, according to the Commission estimates.

On Tuesday, the EP's Science and Technology Options Assessment panel (STOA) will hold its 12th annual lecture, which this time will be about sustaining sustainability. STOA vice-chairmen Malcolm Harbour, a British member of the ECR group, and Paul Rübig, an Austrian member of the EPP group, will take part in this presentation about how to make economics work for the global environment. STOA mainly carries out projects that assess the impact of introducing or promoting new technologies, and identifies the best possible options for action.

Join our Google Hangout on Wednesday at 9.15 CET to discuss unemployment in Europe with MEPs. Register by clicking on the link on the right.

The European Parliament organises on Thursday the second conference of its ReAct series, this time in Warsaw. The event will focus on issues such as data protection, the EU’s relationship with its Eastern neighbours and the energy market. Follow it and comment on Twitter with the hashtag #reactwarszawa.